Typewriting machine



F. H. AMSTRONG TYPEWRITING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed pril 5. 1923 V IN VEN TOR Frcuzli'flAmzsfio/y w F M N v Wm Q QN (IV w N 3 .l M.

ATTORNEY Sept. 28 1926.

F; H. AMSTRONG TYPEWRITING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April' 3. 1923 INVENTOR ffi'aflkEArnzstm/y ATTORNEYS Sept. 28 1926. 1,601,488

, F, H. AMSTRONG TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed April 5. 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEYS Sept. 28 1926. r 1,601,488

F. H. AMSTRONG 'T-YPEWRITING MACHINE Filed April 5. 1923 4 SheetsSheet 4 -IN VENTOR FrankEArmsfivy BYS-"EQ ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 28, 1926.

hearse stares PATENT i errics.

FRANK I-I. ARMSTRONG, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR IO CORONA TYPEVJRZTER CO1VI?A1\TY, INCL, OF GROTON, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TYPEHRI'IING MACHINE.

Application filed April .3, 1923. Serial No. 62$;675.

This invention relates to improvements in typewriting machines, and more particularly to the carriage and ribbon operating means and the control thereof by the printing instrumentalities.

The invention has for its principal object to provide a simple and efficient means whereby one or more keys of the machine may be adapted to operate accent type bars and cause feed and vibrating movements of the ribbon without feeding the carriage. Further objects of-the invention are to provide simpl means whereby a plurality of key-levers may be silenced without silencing intermediate key levers; to provide an improved silent or accent key mechanism for machines having platen carriages shift-able to change case; and to provide a silent key mechanism especially adapted for useiin connection with the Corona typewriting machine.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure l is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a Corona typewriting machine (model 3) provided with the improved carriage-feed controlling means;

Fig. 2 a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 a perspective view showing parts of the ribbon mechanism and carriage-feed controlling mechanism;

Fig. 4 a detail perspective view of the laterally shiftable tappet carrier and the escapement-rocker operating tappet thereon; and

Fig. 5 a fragmentary plan view of the carriage-feed controlling mechanism, one of the accent keys being shown fully depressed.

While the improvements have been illustrated, and will be. now described, as embodied in the wel -known Corona machine, it will be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to such machine.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, l designates the platen carriage which sup ports the platen 5 and travels on the bed 2-, said carriage and the platen 5 thereon being normally urged in letter-feed direction by a spring drum and draw-band which are not shown. Bed 2 is rigidly secured onthe rear ends of two folding arms 4 pivoted at 6 to the forward ends of two vertically shiftable pressed.

frame bars 7. Bars 7' are rigidly held adiacent their rear ends to two vertically shiftable posts 8 slidably guided in brackets 9 mounted on the main or base frame part 10. Posts 8 are connected at their lower ends by a rod 11, and bars 7 are connected at their rear ends by a rod 12.

The depending arms of an upstanding fore-and-aft rocking rame 26 which is of inverted U shape are pivotally connected to red 11 and are provided at their upper ends with vertical slots 29 in which fingers'SO on the upper ends of levers 31 engage in all case-shift positions of the platen carriage. Levers 31 are connected at their upper ends by a bar 32 and are pivo'tally held to swing fore and aft of the machine on screws 83 tapped in brackets 9. Links 34 connect the lower ends of levers 31 with the side arms of a U-shapcd universal bar 35, which arms are pivoted on the rearmost one of the transverse key-lever pivot rods 36 which are rigidly held in main frame 10. The transverse member of universal bar extends over the rear ends of all the printing key levers 38 of the machine and is adapted :to be rocked upwardly when any of the print ing keys (either live or silent keys) are de- The key levers and universal bar are restored by springs 37 and 89, respec vtively, which are secured at their forward ends to a frame bar 40. The key levers 88 support printing keys 111 three'rows or banks and are connected by links 61 with type bars 59 pivoted in segment -60 secured to the frame part 10.

The inked ribbon 41 is wound on spools 42 held to spindles 43 on posts 44 secured to folding arms 4, said spindles being rotated by worm gears 45 thereon which mesh with worms 46 on shafts 47 journalle-d in brackets on arms 4. Shafts 47 carry ratchet wheels 48 rotated by pawls 49 pivoted at 50 on frame 26. The ribbon vibrator 53 is slidably 'uided on a bracket 54 on bed 2 and C is moved up and down by a bell-crank lever .51 pivoted at 52 on a bracket 28 held to the bed 2. Lever 51 is connected toa horizontally swinging oscillator 55 pivotally carried by bracket 28 and rocked fore'and aft-10f the machine by a finger 56 on frame 26.

The frame parts 2,4, 7, 8, 11 and 12, and the devices mounted thereon, are vertically shiftable to vary the relation betweenplaten shift position of the parts is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the cap. shift position (determined by a normally ineffective shiftable intermediate stop not shown) being midway between the two positions shown in this view. The shifting means comprises a rock shaft 62 journalled in frame 10, said shaft having a rock arm 63 at one end pivotally connected to rod 11 and having a fig. shift key lever 6e rigidly held thereto adjacent the other end thereof, the rear end of key lever 64 being also pivotally connected to rod 11. A cap. shift key lever is loosely pivoted on rock shaft 62 and is not directly connected with rod 11 but is formed with a lug 67 engaging un der the key lever 6% at the rear of the rock shaft to operate the shift mechanism through lever Lever 65 in the Corona machine is provided with a cam (not shown) for operating the shiftable intermediate stop re ferred to for arresting the shiftable parts in mid position when k y lever 65 is operated.

The dog rocker 15 is pivotally held at its left-hand. end to bed 2 by a screw 17 so as to rock in a horizontal plane transversely of rack 3 on the carriage to control the letter feed of the carriage through the rigid dog 19 and limber dog 20 mounted on said rocker near its inner end. A spring 21 connected at its forward end with the bed 2 normally urges the rocker forwardly to the position shown in Figs. 1 and. ,5 against a stop on the bed, not shown, in which position the limber dog engages with the rack. The dog rocker is provided with a trans versely extending finger 2% at its forward edge at the inner or right-hand end of the rocker. In the Corona machine this finger is engaged and pushed rearwardly by a tappet formed integrally with the transverse bar of frame 26 to actuate the rocker and feed the carriage whenever any one of the printing keys or the space bar of the machine is actuated, and the right-hand end of finger 24 is blunt. In the present construction the right-hand end of the finger 24 is beveled to provide a cam surface 22 extending diagonally rearward and toward the right from the front to the rear edge of the finger.

lVith the exception of the formation of finger 24 just described, all the parts above described are constructed and operate in the same way as in said machine, except in so far as their operation is modified or controlled by the improvements which will be now described. In the present construction the rocker is operated by engagement of a tappet 25 having a downwardly turned rear end normally engaging behind rod 12 to limit the forward rocking movement of fame 26. This tappet is formed integrally with a transversely extending sheet metal tappet-carrier 68. Said carrier has an angular intermediate body portion having a vertical web depending in front of bar 32 and a horizontal web located between said bar 32 and the cross-bar of frame 26 and slidably engaging the under face of the cross-bar, the tappet 25 extending rearwardly from this horizontal web. The vertical web of the carrier is longer than its horizontal web and is formed at its ends with horizontal extensions 69 slidably resting on the upper face of the cross-bar of frame 26. Extensions 69 are formed with guide slots 70 extending transversely of the machine, in which slots engage the shanks of guide screws 71 tapped into the cross-bar of frame 26.

The depending web of the tappet carrier 68 is formed. with a depending lug 72 near its left-hand end, to which is pivotally connected one end of a transverse link 73, the other end of which is pivotally connected to the rearwardly extending arm of a bellcrank lever 74;. Bell-crank lever 74 is pivotally held to a bracket 7 5 on frame 10 by a vertical pivot screw 76, the remaining arm of the bell-crank lever extending outwardly toward the right and formed with a stop finger 77 normally abutting against the front face of a stop or arm 78 formed on bracket 75. of bell-crank 4: is connected by a forwardly extending link 7 9 with an upstanding rock arm 85) formed integrally with the outer side arm of a Ushaped sheet metal bail 81.

Bail 81 extends substantially horizontally fore and aft of the machine, its side arms being pivotally held at their forward ends to the rear one of the key-lever pivot rods 86 and its rear cross-bar being located well above the normal position of the cross-bar of the universal bar 35. The crossbar of the bail may be made sufficiently long to overlie four or five of the right-hand key levers and is formed with as many depending integral fingers 82 as thereare accent type keys, each so located as to overlie one of the key levers 08 with its lower end at the same level, or substantially the same level, as the lower edge of the cross member of the universal bar 35. In the present construction two fingers 82 are shown overlying the two key levers carrying the keys S and which control the type bars carrying accent type. A spring 83 connects rock arm 80 with bracket and normally holds the bail 81 tappet 25, tappet carrier 68 and intermediate connections in the respective po sitions shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the normal positions of these parts being determined by engagement of stop finger 77 on bellcrank 74 with stop 78 on bracket 75.

In the normal position of the tappet carrier, the rear end of tappet 25 is directly in front of finger 24lon the dog rocker and just to the left of the cam end 22 of said finger,

The outwardly extending arm as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5. As heretofore stated, all the key levers 38, including those carrying the silent keys S, underlie the universal bar and rock the same upward, when their keys are depressed, to cause the universal bar to rock frame 26 and thus operate the ribbon feed pawls and the ribbon vibrator. -\"Vhen any key lever 38, eX- cept one underlying a finger 82 on bail 81, is operated the tappet carrier is not shifted transversely and, consequently, tappet 25 moves directly fore and aft of the machine and 'actuates the dog rocker by pressure on linger 2% of the rocker, thus feeding the carriage one letter space. hen either of the silent keys S is operated its key lever '38 not only operates the universal bar but also rocks bail 81 upward, causing arm 80 to pull link 79 forward and, through hellcrank 74 and link 73, draw the slidable tappet carrier transversely toward the right along the cross-bar of frame 26 as said frame is rocked rearward by the universal bar. The tappet is thus given two movements which cause its rear end to travel rearwardly and toward the right along a diagonal line parallel with the cam end 22 of finger 24, so that said tappet will move to a position at the right of and opposite the cam end of finger 2%, as shown in Fig. 5, without striking or moving the dog rocker. The type bars operated by keys S may be thus actuated to print, and the ribbon may be vibrated and fed longitudinally, without feeding the carriage. The cam end 22 of finger 2i prevents sticking ofthe tappet against the end of the finger when keys S are released and insures easy and prompt return of the tappe't to normal position. The arrangement of the cross-bar of the bail above the cross-bar of the universal bar at or substantially at the level of maximum throw of the universal bar, and the employment of depending fingers S2, permit silencing two or more key levers having one or more in termediate live key levers located therebetween, as even those live key levers underlying the bail will not actuate the bail.

The frame 26 moves upward with the platen carriage during case shifting as in the Corona machine, and the tappet and its carrier move with the frame 26, link 73 swinging up and down about its pivotal connection with the bell-crank lever 74. Said linl c preferably extends downward from right to left when the carriage isin lowerposition, and its inner end lifts to a point an equal distance above the'ho'rizonplane of the pivotal connection 'of the link with the bell-crank when the carriage in its maximum'or tigVshift position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. During 'forea'nd-aft rocking movements of frame 26 and he tappet carrier thereon, link 73 swings fore and aft abo-ut'its pivotal conneotion with the bell-crank lever 74. The

machine folds in the same manner as the Corona machine referred to.

VVha't I claim is:

1.. In a typewriting machine, the combi' nation of a platen carriage, printing keys, type bars operable by said keys, a carriage escapement including a dog rocker having a fixed arm thereon extending transversely of the machine and movable fore-and-aft of the machine during-operations of the dog rocker, one end of said arm being formed with a rearwardly and laterally extending edge, ribbon vibrating mechanism, amember movable rearwardly upon depression of any one of the printing keys and operatively connected with the ribbon vibrating mechanism to actuate the same a dog rocker actuator mounted on said member tomove fore-a nd afttherewith and slide relatively thereto transversely of the machine and having a part normally disposed to engage the front edge of said arm of the dog rocker, and means operated by certain only of said keys for sliding said actuator transversely of the machine simultaneously with rearward movement of said member by the actuated key to thereby shift the rocker engaging part of the actuator in a rearwardly and laterally extending path to a point at one side of the rearwardly and laterally extending end edge of the dog rocker arm.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a platen carriage, printing keys, a carriage escape-merit, a swinging member operable by all of the printing keys, ribbon feeding and vibrating means operated by said member, an escapement actuator mounted on said member to swing therewith and slide relatively thereto transversely of the direction of swinging movement of said member, a lever, a link connecting said actuator with one end of said lever, a second swinging member operable by certain of said printing keys only, and a link connecting said second swinging member with the other end of said lever.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combina tion of a main frame, a platen carriage, a carriage escapement, ribbon mechanism, printing key levers, type carriers operable by said key levers, means operable by each of the key levers and movable fore-and-aft of the machine for operating the ribbon mechanism, an escapement actuator carried by said ribbon mechanism operating means and movable therewith fore-and-aft of the machine to actuate the escapement, means slidably holding said actuator to said ribbon mechanism operating means to slide transversely of the machine, a link extending transversely of the machine and connected one end with saidactuator, a horizontally swinging bell-crank lever having a fore-.

and-aft extending arm connected with the other end of said transverse link and a laterally extending arm, a fore-and-aft extending link connected at one end with said laterally extending arm of the bell crank lever, and a fore-and-aft rocking member operable by at least one of the key levers and connected with the other end of said fore-and-aft extending link.

4. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a main frame, a platen carriage, a carriage escapement, ribbon mechanism, printing key levers, type carriers operable by said key leve s, means operable by each of said key levers and movable f'ore-and-aft of the machine for operating the ribbon mechanism, an escapcment actuator carried by said ribbon mechanism operating means and movable therewith fore-and-aft of the machine to actuate the escapement, means slidably holding said actuator to said op erating means to slide transversely of the machine, case shift means for shifting the platen carriage and its escapement together with the actuator relatively to the key levers and type carriers, a member pivotally mounted on the main frame and operable by at least one of said key levers, and a universally shiftable link positively connecting said pivoted member with the actuator in all positions of the actuator for sliding the actuator transversely of the machine when the pivoted member is operated to thereby render the actuator ineffective on the escapement.

5. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a main frame, a platen carriage, a carriage escapement, ribbon mechanism, printing key levers, means operable by all of said key levers and movable fore and aft of the machine for operating the ribbon mechanism, an escapement actuator carried by said ribbon mechanism operating means and movable bodily therewith fore and aft of the machine to actuate the escapement, means slidably holding said actuator to said operating means to slide transversely of the machine, case-shift means for shifting the platen carriage together with its escapement and the actuator to change case, a bell-crank lever pivotally mounted on the main frame, a transversely extending link connecting one arm of said lever with said actuator, a swinging member pivotally supported in the main frame for operation by certain of the key levers only, and a link connecting said swinging member with the other arm of said bell-crank lever.

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a main frame, a platen carriage, a carriage escapement, ribbon mechanism, printing key levers, means operable by all of said key levers and movable fore and aft of the machine for operating the ribbon mechanism, an escapement actuator carried by said ribbon mechanism operating means and movable bodily therewith fore and aft of the machine to actuate the escapement, means slidably holding said actuator to said operating means to slide transversely of the machine, case-shift means for shifting the platen carriage together with its escapement and the actuator to change case, a bell-crank lever pivotally mounted on the main frame, a transversely extending link connecting one arm of said lever with said actuator, a swinging member pivotally supported in the main frame for operation by certain of the key levers only, a link connecting said swinging member with the other arm of said bellcrank lever, said bell-crank lever being mounted on a vertical pivot and said swinging member being mounted on a horizontal pivot extending transversely of the machine, a stop on the frame engaged by one arm of the bell-crank lever, and a spring connected with the swinging member for normally urging said lever arm against said stop.

7. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a platen carriage, a case shift frame for the carriage, a carriage escapement including a dog rocker on the shift frame, ribbon vibrator mechanism on the shift frame, an actuator for the ribbon vibrator mechanism mounted on the shift frame, printing key levers, a universal bar on the main frame operating upon the actuation of any one of said key levers, means for operating said actuator from the universal bar in all case positions of the shift frame, case shift means for shifting the shift frame, a dog rocker actuator shiftably mounted on the first mentioned actuator to move positively therewith in a direction to actuate the dog rocker, a member movably mounted on the main frame for engagement and operation by certain only of said key levers, and means positively connecting said member and the dog rocker actuator in all case positions of the shift frame for moving the dog rock-er actuator relatively to the other actuator by force applied to said member by a key lever to thereby render the dog rocker actuator ineffective on the dog rocker.

8. In a typewriting machine the combination of a main frame, printing key levers, type bars operable by said key levers, a universal bar operable directly by all the key levers, an upstanding rocking frame pivotally supported to swing fore and aft of the machine and operable by the universal bar, ribbon mechanism operable by said rocking frame, an escapement actuator slidably supported on said frame to move transversely of the machine and swing therewith, a carriage-escapement rocker in the normal path of swinging movement of said actuator, a bail having side arms pivotally supported on a. transverse axis in the main frame and having a transverse member movable in an up-and-down direction by certain of said key levers only, a rock arm on said bail extending in an up-and-down direction, a bell-crank lever pivotally sup ported in the main frame to swing about a vertical axis, a link connecting one arm of the bell-crank ever with said rock arm, and a link connecting the other arm ofthe bellcrank lever with said actuator.

9. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a main frame, a platen carriage, printing key levers fulcrumed intermediate their ends in the main frame, type bars operable by the key levers, a universal bar overlying the rear ends of all the key levers and adapted to be shift d thereby, an up standing rocking frame pivotally supported to swing fore and aftof the main frame and having a horizontal crossbar, connections between the universal bar and rocking frame for swinging the frame rearwardly, ribbon mechanism operable by said frame, an escapement rocker, a sliding tappet carrier mounted on the cross-bar of said rocking frame and provided with slots extending longitudinally of said cross-bar, screws on the cross-bar extending through said slots, a tappet on the carrier normally located in front of the escapement rock-er, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on the main frame, a transverse link connecting one arm of said lever with the tappet carrier, a bail having side arms pivotally supported on a transverse axis in the main frame and having a cross-bar overlying a plurality of said key levers and located at a higher level than the universal bar, said cross-bar having depending fingers overlying and extending close to certain of the key levers under the cross-bar of the bail, and a connection between the bail and the other arm of said lever for rocking the lever.

10. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a main frame, a platen carriage, printing key levers fulcrumed intermediate their ends in the main frame, type bars operable by the key levers, a universal bar overlying the rear ends of all the key levers and adapted to be shifted thereby, an upstanding rocking frame pivotally supported to swing fore and aft of the main frame and having a horizontal cross-bar, connections between the universal bar and rocking frame for swinging the frame rearwardly, ribbon mechanism operable by said frame, an escapement rocker, a sliding tappet carrier mounted on the cross-bar of said rocking frame and provided with slots extending longitudinally of said cross-bar,.screws on the cross-bar extending through said slots, a tappet on the carrier normally located in front of the escapement rocker, a bell-crank lever pivoted on a vertical axis in the main frame, a transverse link connecting one arm of said lever with the tappetcarrier, a bail having side arms pivoted on a transverse axis in the main frame and a crossbar located at a higher level than the u iversal bar and formed with depending fingers ex.- tending close to certain of the key levers under. the bail, an upstanding rock arm on the bail, and link extending f re and of the machine connecting said rocl arm with the other arm of the bell-crank lever.

11. In'a typewriting machine, the combination of main frame, a platen carriage, printing key levers fulcrumed intermediate their ends in the main frame, type bars operable by the key levers, a universal bar overlying the rear ends of all the key levers and adapted to be shifted thereby, an upstanding rocl ing frame pivo'tally supported to swing fore and aft of the main frame and having a horizontal cross-bar, connections between the universal bar and rocking frame for swinging the frame rearwardly, ribbon in chanism operable by said frame, an escapement rocker, a sliding tappet carrier mounted on the cross-bar of said rocking frame and provided with slots extending longitudinally of said. cross bar, screws on the cross-bar xtending through said slots, a tappet on the carrier normally located in front of the escapement rocker, a bell-crank lever pivoted on a vertical axis in the main frame, a transverse link connecting one arm of said lever with the tappet carrier, a bail having side arms pivoted on a transverse axis in the main frame and a cross-bar located at a higher level than the universal bar and formed with depending fingers extending close to certain of the key levers under the bail, an upstanding rock arm on the bail, and a link extending fore and aft of the machine connecting said rock arm with the other arm of the bell-crank lever, said rocker having a rearwardly and laterally inclined cam edge past which the tappet moves 'when the bail is operated.

12. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a main frame, a platen carriage, printing key levers fulcrumed intermediate their ends in the main frame, type bars operable by the key levers, a universal bar overlying the rear ends of all the key levers and adapted to be shifted thereby, an upstanding rocking frame pivotally supported to swing fore and aft of the main frame and having a horizontal cross-bar, connections between the universal bar and rocking frame for swinging the frame rearwardly, ribbon mechanism operable by said frame, an escapement rocker, a sliding tappet carrier mounted on the cross-bar of said rocking frame and provided with slots extending longitudinally of said cross-bar, screws on the cross-bar extending through said slots, a tap pet on the carrier normally located in front of the escapement rocker, a bell-crank lever v pivoted on a vertical axis in the main frame, a transverse link connecting one arm of-said lever with the tappet carrier, a bail having side arms pivoted on a transverse axis in the main "frame and a crossbar located at a higher level than the universal bar and formed With depending fingers extending close to certain ot' the key levers under the bail, an upstanding rock arm on the bail, a link extending fore and aft of the machine connecting said rock arm with the other arm of the bell-crank lever, a spring for holding the tappet in normal position on the rocking frame, and case-shift means for shifting the platen carriage and the rocker together With the rocking frame and tappet carrier vertically.

13. In a typeivriting machine, the combination of live and silent printing keys, a tore-and-att movable member operable by all the keys, an escapement actuator supported on said member to move therewith and shift laterally relatively thereto, a silent-key operated member, and a link counectingsaid silent-key-operated member and said actuator, said link extending transversely of the machine and swinging "fore and aft about its connection With the silent-key-operated member when the tore-and-aft movable member is operated and being shiftable bodily endwise by the silent-key-operated member.

14:. In a typewriting machine, the combination of live and silent lzeys, an escapement actuator, a movable support therefor, universal key-operated means for moving said support fore and aft of the machine, ribbon mechanism operable by movement of said support, case-shift means for moving sait support vertically, a platen carriage and escapement therefor movable vertically by the case-shift means, means holding the actuator to said support to move laterally relatively thereto to an ineffective position, a silent-lrey-operated member, and a link extending transversely of the machine and connecting said member and actuator and movable endwise by said member, said link swinging up and down about its connection with the silent-keyo1: erated member during case shifting and fore-and-aft about its connection With said member during foreand-a'ft movements of the actuator support.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

FRANK H. ARMSTRONG. 

